Kempton

A colonial air lingers in Kempton, on the land of the Big River people and settled by Europeans in the 1820s. 

As a coaching stop on the main north-south route, Kempton became a busy hub for hungry travellers and their horses. Today, its handsome 19th-century buildings are like a walk back through time.

These days Kempton is bypassed by the Midland Highway, but it still rewards those who take the time to explore. 

Architectural highlights include Dysart House, an 1840s coaching inn that now houses Old Kempton Distillery, and the gothic revival St Mary's Church of England, with its square tower and tree-lined entrance. Wander its cemetery for a story in headstones of Kempton’s early settlers.

Where

Kempton is a 40min drive (49km) north of Hobart.

Insider tip

• Book a tour for a paddock-to-bottle experience at Australia’s first rye distillery, Belgrove Distillery, said to have the world’s only still powered by biodiesel.